Lock and key.



'3 ."Bl'fBORLAND. LOCK AND KEY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I0, 1905. RENEWED SEPT.25 1912,

1,151,080. I Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Z" ezvvaflfar: Brace 302404270! COLUMBIA PLANOGRA PH CO.,WASHINOTON, h. c.

B. BORLAND.

LOCK AND KEY.

APPLICATION men APR. 10. 1905. RENEWED SEPT.25, 1912.

1,151,080. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BRUCE BORIJAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOCK AND KEY.

Application filed April 10, 1905, Serial No. 254,652.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BRUCE BoRLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chcago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks and Keys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in looks and keys, and the objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the accompanying specification.

The invention consists of the organizations and arrangements of parts hereinafter particularly described and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lock with the face plate removed and showing the bolt thrown and the tumblers in locking position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tumblers in unlocking position and the bolt retracted; Fig. 3 i a detail view of the bolt; Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the tumblers in unlocking position and the bolt partially retracted; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5- of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an end View of one form of key employed with the lock; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the key; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the key flattened out or unrolled in order to more clearly illustrate the guide groove; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view showing a modification of the invention; Fig. 11 is an end view of the key employed with the construction shown in Fig. 10; and Fig. 12 is a side view of the key shown in Fig. 11, partially broken away in order to show the internal guide groove.

Referring to the drawings, 15 indicates the lock casing. This casing may be of any suitable shape and size, and in the present instance is shown as rectangular and provided with a face plate 16 suitably secured thereto. The front end of the casing is provided with the usual opening 17 in'which the bolt 18 reciprocates. The bolt 18 is provided with a tail 19 which extends from one side thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, and is located adjacent the rear wall of the casing, as shown in Fig. 5. The tail 19 has a longitudinal slot 20, and a pin 21 projects from the rear wall of the casing into the slot 20 to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 21, 1915.

Renewed September 25, 1912. Serial No. 722,370.

guide the bolt when the latter is thrown or retracted. The under edge of the bolt tail 19 is provided with suitable teeth 22, such bolt tail being, inrthe present instance, in the form of a rack bar. The bolt tail is provided with a vertical flange or extension 23 and fixed to this flange is a transverse pin or fence 24:.

A stud 25 is provided with a threaded end 26 which enters a corresponding opening in the rear wall of the casing 15 and has its other end supported in a suitable opening in the face plate 16, as shown in Fig. 5. A series of tumblers loosely mounted on the stud 25, are designed when in certain positions to prevent the withdrawal of the bolt, but are adapted to be operated by a suitable key and moved into registered position so that the bolt may be withdrawn. In the present instance three such tumblers are employed and are designated 27, 28 and 29, progressively from the face plate 16. The tumblers are located between the bolt tail 19 and the face plate 16 and provided with teeth 30 and in the present instance are in the form of mutilated gears. Each tumbler is provided with a transverse slot or gate 31 extending inwardly from the periphery thereof a suitable distance. These gates 31, which may be of any suitable shape, are curved on a common center for a purpose hereinafter explained. When the bolt is thrown and the tumblers are in locking position the gates 31 are out of alinement or register, so that the gears obstruct the movement of the bolt by presenting the solid portion thereof in the path of the fence 24, as shown in Fig. 1.

For rotating the tumblers and setting them to unlocking position, to permit of the retraction of the bolt, I employ a key which is adapted while being inserted in the lock to successively pick up or engage the tumbler and rotate them to unlocln'ng position and finally engage the bolt tail so as to withdraw the bolt. The key may be of any suitable construction adapted to the attainment of the desired end. One embodiment of a key for this purpose is illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9. As there shown, the key 32 is substantially circular in cross section and is provided with longitudinal teeth 33 forming bits which extend along the face of the key from the end thereof a distance at least equal to the combined thickness of the tumblers and bolt tail. In the present instance the key is in the form of an elongated pinion the teeth of which are so proportioned as to properly cooperate with the teeth of the tumblers and bolt tail. This key is provided with a sinuous groove 34 which, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, may be formed in the face of the pinion. The face plate 16 of the lock casing is provided with a tubular extension 35 providing a key hole 36 of suitable size to permit the key 32 to enter therein. A cylindrical seat 37 projects inwardly from the key hole 36 and this seat may be formed integral with the keyhole extension 35, the upper portion thereof being cut away, as shown, to permit the teeth of the key 32 to project therefrom so as to engage the tumblers and bolt tail rack bar. A guide pin 38 projects into the key hole opening 36 and is adapted to enter the groove 34 and cooperate therewith in such manner as to insure the necessary turning of the key.

In the present embodiment of the invention I have illustrated a lock with three tumblers, and the groove 34 of the key is arranged accordingly. It is to be understood, however, that the number of tumblers may be varied and that the character of the guide groove will depend upon the number of tumblers and also upon the relative locations of the gates 31 when the tumblers are in looking position. Referring to the present construction, the slot 34, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, extends as at 39 from the end of the key longitudinally thereof between an adjacent pair of teeth 33 for a distance at least equal to the distance from the I outer face of the pin 38 to slightlv beyond the adjacent face of the tumbler 27. The groove then passes spirally around the key for a suitable distance, as at 40, the length of such spiral portion 40 longitudinally of the key being substantially the thickness of the tumbler 27. The groove is then continued a suitable distance as at 41 in a spiral reversely to the portion 40, andthe length of the spiral portion 41 longitudinally of the key is substantially equal to the thickness of the tumbler 28. From the spiral portion 41 the groove extends in a reverse direction as the spiral portion 42, the length of which longitudinally of the key is substantially equal to the thickness of the tumbler 29. The groove 34 is then continued longitudinally from the end of the portion 42 and enters a peripheral groove 43 which terminates in a longitudinal groove 44 extending from the groove 43 to the end of the key.

To retract the bolt from the position shown in Fig. 1, and move the same to its unlocking position, shown in Fig. 2, the key is entered in the opening 36, Fig. 5, with its groove 39 engaging the pin 38. In inserting the key in the look, while the pin 38 is in engagement with the straight portion 39 of the groove the key is prevented from turning, and the length of the portion 39 is just sulficient to permit the end of the key to engage the tumbler 27 before the pin 38 enters the spiral portion 40. As soon, however, as the teeth of the key come into engagement with the teeth of the tumbler 27, the pin 38 enters the forward end of the spiral portion 40 of the groove so that the key may turn at the same time that it is moving longitudinally of the said tumbler. The length of the spiral portion 40 of the groove is such that the tumbler 27 is rotated to the right or clockwise far enough to bring its gate 31 into alinement with the gate 31 of the tumbler 28. At this time the pin 38 comes into engagement with the spiral portion 41 of the groove and the key picks up the tumbler 28 so that while the portion 41 of the groove is moving past the pin 38 the tumblers 27 and 28 will be turned to the left or cont-raclockwise far enough to bring their alined gates 31 into alinement with the gate 31 of the tumbler 29. The tumblers will now be in register, all the gates being. alined with the position occupied by the gate 31 of tumbler 29, in Fig. 1. As the key is pushed farther into the lock the spiral portion 42 of the groove comes into engagement with the pin 38 and as the end of the key is sliding past the tumbler 29 all of the tumblers are rotated to the right far enough to bring the alined gates 31 in the path of the fence 24. The key is then pushed in as far as it will go, or until the pin 38 engages the adjacent end of the peripheral groove 43, bringing the teeth on the end of the key into engagement with the teeth on the bolt tail. The key is then turned thereby moving the bolt inwardly and at the same time the tumblers are rotated forward simultaneously so that the alined gates of the tumblers will move, owing to their curvature, past or along the fence 24 as the bolt is retracted; and the length of the groove 43 is such as to permit the key to turn far enough to entirely retract the bolt. At the inward limit ofmovement of the bolt the pin 38 comes opposite the end of the longitudinal groove 44 of the key so that the latter may be withdrawn without affecting the tumblers. When the bolt is in its unlocking position and it is desired to throw the same, the outer end of the key groove 44 is engaged with the pin 38 to insert the key and the operation heretofore described for withdrawing the bolt is merely reversed.

The key may be variously modified and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7. For example, the key may be of tubular form, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, and'have its guide groove, which is designated 45, in Figs. 11 and 12, located on the interior of the key. With this construction the cooperating guide pin'4r6, Fig. 10, is carried by a spindle 47 fixed to the rear wall of the lock casing and disposed centrally of the key hole, the spindle being of such size as to permit the key to slide and rotate on the same with its pin in engagement with the groove 45.

In order to insure alinement of the teeth of the tumblers so that the teeth of the key will readily engage the same, a suitable spring may be employed to hold each tumbler in a certain position when the tumblers are in locking position. For this purpose each tumbler may be formed with a substantially V-shaped peripheral recess or cutaway portion and seated in a groove 48 of the tumbler is a V-shaped spring 49 the arms of which normally engage the faces of the recess and at their outer ends react against pins 50 fixed to and extending transversely of the casing. It will be obvious from this that while either arm ofthe spring associated with any, tumbler will move freely and be flexed by the tumbler depending on the direction of rotation of the latter, yet when the tumblers are free the arms of the springs will react equally against the pins 50 and hold the tumblers in predetermined position with their teeth alined. The ends of the teeth of the key are preferably tapered, as shown in Figs. 7 and 12, to facilitate the engagement of the teeth of the key with the teeth of the tumblers and bolt.

The flange 23 of the bolt may be provided with recesses 51 with which a spring 52 cooperates, being attached to the front of the lock casing. These recesses 51 are so disposed that the spring 52 enters one of the same in either the locked or unlocked position of the bolt, to hold the bolt so that the teeth of its tail will be in exact alinement with the teeth of the tumblers.

While I have shown the teeth of the tumblers extending all around the periphery of such tumblers it is obvious that they need extend only far enough to insure the requisite rotation of the tumblers. Preferably, however, the teeth extend beyond the slots 31 and serve as blind slots the purpose of which is to complicate the picking of the lock.

To facilitate illustration, I have shown the teeth of the tumblers, key and bolt somewhat exaggerated. In practice the teeth are made on a much smaller scale, although, of course, the size of such teeth is not material. Preferably the gates 31 are merely wide enough to just admit the bolt fence 24.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, and';actuatin'gmeans inserted from the exterior of the lock to successively rotate and couple the tumblers together to bring them into unlocking position as it is inserted and to couple the bolt with the tumblers to retract the former when the latter, are operated together.

2. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, and means for successively engaging the tumblers and coupling each succeeding tumbler with the preceding one to move them into unlocking position and for finally engaging the bolt to retract the same.

3. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, and a key adapted to successively engage the tumblers and -to couple each succeeding tumbler with the preceding one to move the tumblers into unlocking position and finally engage the bolt to retract the same.

4. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, and a key adapted to successively engage the tumblers to bring them to registered position and then move them in unison into unlocking position and finally engage the bolt to retract same.

5. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, and a key adapted to successively engage and rotate the tumblers to move the same into registered position and then rotate them in unison into unlocking position and finally engage the bolt to retract same.

6. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, a key adapted to slidingly and successively engage the tumblers and finally engage the bolt, and means to compel the turning of the key while slidingly engaging the tumblers to move the same into registered position and permit of the retraction of the bolt by turning the key.

7 In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of bolt locking tumblers, a key consisting of an elongated pinion providing tumbler actuating teeth and having a groove, and a pin cooperating with the groove to turn the key.

8. In a'lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, of a key which by its insertion in the lock moves the tumblers into unlocking position and then engages the bolt to retract the same.

9. In a look, a plurality of tumblers each having acurved gate which registers with the gates of the other tumblers when the latter are in predetermined positions, and a bolt having a fence adapted to enter the alined gates when the tumblers and bolt are operated simultaneously.

10. In a look, a plurality of rotatable tumblers having curved gates adapted to move into register by rotation of the tumblers into predetermined positions, and a sliding bolt having a fence adapted to enter the gates after alinement I and when the tumblers are rotated in unison simultaneously with the retraction of the bolt.

11. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, having a fence, of a plurality of tumblers having curved gates, and a key to move the tumblers and bolt and to couple each succeeding tumbler when moved with the preceding tumbler.

12. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a fence, of a plurality of tumblers having curved gates and'a key for successively engaging the tumblers and coupling each succeeding tumbler with the preceding tumbler to move the same into unlocking position.

13. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of tumblers, and a key which when inserted in the lock successively engages the tumblers, and means to compel the turning of the key. I

14;. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable tumblers, and a key which when inserted-in the lock slidinglyengages the tumblers and couples each succeeding tumbler with the preceding tumbler, and means for compelling axial movement of the key as it is inserted in the lock.

15. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable tumblers, a key, and means'to compel the rotation of the key as it is inserted in the lock to successively engage and rotate the tumblers.

16. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable tumblers, and a key which as it is moved longitudinally to enter it in the lock successively engages the tumblers and is rotated to move the tumblers into predetermined positions, and finally engages the bolt.

17 In a lock, a plurality of rotatable tumblers having key-actuated teeth and the gates of which are normally out of register, and springs to maintain the tumblers with their teeth in alinement between the operations of the lock.

18. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a' plurality of rotatable tumblers for maintaining the bolt in locked position, a key adapted to successively engage the tumblers and move the same into registered position and then into unlocking position, and springs to maintain the tumblers with their teeth in alinement between the operations of the key.

19. In a lock, a plurality of rotatable toothed tumblers the gates of which are normally out of register, each of such tumblers having a V-shaped recess, a correspondingly shaped leaf spring seated in the recess of each tumbler and the arms of which are adapted normally to react against the walls of such recess, and stops against whichthe opposite ends of the springs react to maintain the tumblers between operation of the lock with their teeth in alinement.

20. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of toothed tumblers, and a key having longitudinal teeth successively engaging the tumblers to rotate the same, and a guide which limits the axial movement of the key, whereby the tumblers are rotated ina predetermined manner.

' 21. In a lock, the combination with'a bolt,

of a plurality of toothed tumblers, a key having longitudinal teeth adapted to engage the tumblers, and a guide for effecting predetermined axial movement of the key to successively pick up the tumblers and aline itheligr gatings while being inserted in the 22. In a lock, the combination with a bolt, of a plurality of rotatable toothed tumblers, a key having teeth to actuate the tumblers, and a guide for limiting the axial oscillating movement of the key to successively pick up the tumblers and aline their gatings while being inserted in the lock.

23. A lock having rotatable toothed tumblers adapted to be moved into predeter- Y mined unlocking position, and a key having teeth adapted to engage the tumblers, and means to compel the turning of the key so as to move the tumblers into their predetermined unlocking position, consisting of a cooperating pin and guide groove.

24. In a lock, a bolt, toothed tumblers adapted to be moved into predetermined position to unlock'the bolt, a key having teeth adapted to engage the tumblers and bolt and provided with a groove having sinuous and peripheral portions, and a pin to enter the groove. I I

25. In a lock, a bolt having a toothed tail, toothed tumblers adapted to be moved into predetermined position to unlock the bolt, a

key having teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the tumblers and bolt-tail and provided with a groove having sinuous and sisting of an elongated pinion adapted by its insertion in the lock to successively engage the tumblers, and a cooperating pin and guide to effect the turning of the key to move the tumblers to unlocking position.

28. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a rack bar and a fence, of a plurality of locking tumblers in the form of gears, the tumblers having gates which are out of register when the tumblers are in looking position, and a key consisting of an elongated pinion adapted by its insertion in the lock to successively engage the tumblers and bring the gates thereof into the path of the bolt fence, and then to engage the rack bar to retract the bolt.

29. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a rack bar and a fence, of a plurality of locking tumblers in the form of gears, the tumblers having curved gates which are out of register when the tumblers are in looking position, a key consisting of an elongated pinion having a groove and successively engaging the gears and then the rack bar when inserted in the lock, and a pin associated with the key hole opening and cooperating with the key groove to effect the turning of the same while being inserted in the lock.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRUCE BORLAND.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. SEIBOLD, ELIZABETH MOLITOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

